- Qoricocha Lake
- Pukamarca
- Huchuy Qosqo
- Lamay
- Machu Picchu
Huchuy qosqo trek 3 Days
Relax on the Huchuy Qosqo Trek to Machu Picchu away from the usual tourist circuit and in the company of an amazing landscape. You’ll see beautiful towns, find llamas and alpacas, and observe soaring mountain peaks and a surprising variety of local flora and fauna. Make new friends in rural communities and enter the depths of life in the Andes of Peru as you walk in the footsteps of their ancestors on the mythical Inca Trail.
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Overview
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Itinerary
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Inclusions
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Before You Go
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Pricing
The Huchuy Qosco trek is like taking a step back in time, although hard to believe it is so close to Cusco! From its beginning, this trek takes you off the typical tourist route. You will walk along ancient pathways and visit local communities where you will be immersed in the local culture. On your 2nd day, you will visit the little known site of Huchuy Qosqo, a pre-Inca site which was incorporated into the Inca empire early on when they came to power. This site offers an interesting mix of pre-Inca and Inca architecture and is set in a beautiful location overlooking the Sacred Valley.
Briefing before the excursion
You’ll have an informative meeting with your guide 1 or 2 days before the start of your walk. This meeting will take place at our offices in Cusco. Take this opportunity to answer any questions you have and get ready, the adventure is about to begin!
Itinerary at a Glance
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Day 0
Pre-Departure Briefing
Cusco
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Day 1
Experience a True Andean Evening with the Patabamba Community
Qoricocha Lake Pukamarca Huchuy Qosqo
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Day 2
Explore the Fascinating Site of Huchuy Qosqo and Head to Aguas Calientes
Lamay Ollantaytambo Aguas Calientes
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Day 3
Tour of the Incredible Incan Fortress: Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Experience a True Andean Evening with the Patabamba Community
Qoricocha Lake Pukamarca Patabamba Community
We’ll stop by your hotel early to pick you up and transport you, for 30 minutes, to the Inca site of Tambomachay (3,700 masl / 12,139 fasl). During this journey we’ll pass through Sacsayhuamán, Q’enqo, and Pucapucara. Tambomachay will be our starting point and there we’ll join the rest of the team: the guide, the horsemen who’ll lead the horses, and the chef. We’ll organise your luggage on top of the horses and start walking.
We’ll ascend for 2 hours until we reach the first pass of our excursion (4,100 masl / 13,451 fasl). During this journey you’ll be able to observe impressive views of the city and the surrounding mountains. After another 30 minutes we’ll arrive at the Qoricocha lake. This spectacular location is the perfect place to enjoy a delicious lunch.
After lunch, we’ll ascend for 45 minutes to the second pass, which is the highest point of our trek (4,200 masl / 13,779 fasl). From here, what remains for us on the day is downhill. For 4 hours we’ll cross fertile valleys, a fabulous canyon, and a portion of the original Inca Trail. Our camp will be on one of the Huchuy Qosqo terraces (3,600 masl / 11,808 fasl).
- Meals: Lunch and dinner.
- Accommodation: Camp
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Walking Distance: 9 miles
- Minimum elevation: 3600 m / 11808 ft
- Highest elevation: 4200 m / 13779 ft
- Places of interest: Sacsayhuaman, Qenqo, Lake Qoricocha, Huchuy Qosqo.
Explore the Fascinating Site of Huchuy Qosqo and Head to Aguas Calientes
Huchuy Qosqo Lamay Ollantaytambo Aguas Calientes
We’ll wake up early to enjoy a fantastic breakfast in our camp. Later we’ll enjoy our guided tour of the archaeological site of Huchuy Qosqo.
Then we’ll descend for 2 or 3 hours to Lamay (3,000 masl / 9,840 fasl) where we’ll have lunch. At the end, a van will be waiting for us to head towards Ollantaytambo (2,840 masl / 9,315 fasl). We’ll have a brief tour of this mysterious and magical place.
In Ollantaytambo, you’ll board the Vistadome luxury train heading to Aguas Calientes. As soon as we arrive, you’ll check in at the hotel that we’ll have reserved for you. You can use your free time in the afternoon visiting the relaxing hot springs of the place before dinner in the best restaurant.
- Meals: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
- Accommodation: Hostel
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Walking Distance: 1.5 miles
- Minimum elevation: 3000 m / 9840 ft
- Highest elevation: 3600 m / 11808 ft
- Places of interest: Huchuy Qosqo and Ollantaytambo.
Tour of the Incredible Incan Fortress: Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
You’ll enjoy breakfast at your hotel and then we’ll embark very early (5:30 a.m.) on a bus heading to the historic sanctuary of Machu Picchu to see the sunrise. You’ll discover the secrets of this mysterious place on a 2-hour guided tour.
If you chose to climb the Huayna Picchu Mountain (not included in the price of the package), you must do it at 10:00 a.m. Otherwise, you’ll have free time in Machu Picchu (you can walk to Puerta del Sol or the Inca Bridge) before you return to Aguas Calientes by bus.
In Aguas Calientes, you’ll board the Expedition Train heading to Ollantaytambo and later will travel to Cusco in a private van. We’ll drop you off at the hotel door. The time of your arrival will depend on the time of your train ticket.
- Meals: Breakfast.
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Minimum elevation: 2040 m / 6691 ft
- Highest Elevation: 2440 m / 8052 ft
What Is Included?
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High Quality Service & Safety
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Pre-departure briefing
You will meet your guide and group in our office for an orientation before your trek. At this time, we will provide you with the duffle bags which will be carried by our porters. The meeting will be at 6:00 PM the evening before the trip begins.
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Experienced Guide
All our guides are graduates of the professional career of Tourism of the National University San Antonio Abad of Cusco. Also, they speak English. As good cusqueños, they feel a great commitment to transmit the knowledge they have inherited from their grandparents. They are very friendly and professional. They’ll make sure you are safe and happy.
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Medical Kit
All Salkantay Trekking guides have received specialized training in first aid. We hold mandatory training sessions with our guides every February. Your guide will always carry a first aid kit to face basic emergency situations (altitude sickness, traveller’s diarrhoea, cuts, scrapes, etc.) as well as oxygen. If necessary, we’ll evacuate you from the path as quickly as possible and ensure that you arrive at a clinic for treatment.
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Customer Service 24/7
We have telephone service available 24 hours/day for ease of communication and preparation with the agency leading up to your trek.
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Satellite phones:
Our main priority will always be the tranquillity of our clients. While all of our guides are prepared for emergencies in the mountains, being a phone call away from any doctor, hospital, or friend helps you feel more secure. Each Salkantay Trekking guides has a satellite phone that can be used anywhere on the mountain to call anywhere in the world. You can also use it even if it’s not an emergency.
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Entrance tickets to Huchuy Qosqo and Machu Picchu
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Pick-up from your hotel
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Transportation: bus to the trailhead, bus from Lamay to Ollantaytambo, train (Backpacker service) to Ollantaytambo, and bus back Cusco to your hotel
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1 night of accomodation in a hostel in Aguas Calientes
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Bus ticket round-trip:
Aguas Calientes - Machu Picchu / Machu Picchu - Aguas Calientes
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Boiled water safe for drinking while trekking (bring your water for the first morning)
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2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 tea times, 2 dinners, and snacks to eat during the day while trekking
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Dining/Kitchen tent, tables, and chairs
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Chef to prepare all meals while trekking
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Tents:
2 people in each 4-person tent
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Foam camping mattress
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1 horse in case of emergencies
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Emergency oxygen bottle
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Vegetarian food available at no extra cost!
What Is Not Included?
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Travel Insurance
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Tips for our staff
Tips are usual on any excursion to Machu Picchu. Although we pay good salaries to our entire team, something extra is always welcome, especially considering the hard work they do. Typically, group participants collect their tips to hand out to the porters and chefs together.
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Additional costs or delays out of control of the management
Landscape, bad weather condition, itinerary modification due to a safety concern, illness, change of government policy, political instability/strike, etc.
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Personal clothing and gear
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Sleeping bag rent:
US $5.00 per day. You can rent one from our company if you do not have your own. Our sleeping bags are effective and durable to protect from temperatures as low as -18ºC (0ºF). They are mummy form and include a sleeping liner. The bags are cleaned after every use and have a maximum usage of 30 trips.
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Personal clothing and gear
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Trekking poles
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Therm-a-rest inflatable sleeping pad rent: US $5.00 per day
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Single tent supplement (if you do not want to share a tent) – USD $25.00
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Extra night in Aguas Calientes $35 (or email us for alternate options). We will just need to arrange your train back to Cusco for the following day. Please tell us before final booking process.
We want to make your trip to Peru as memorable and as easy as possible. In this section, you will find speedy answers to all those questions you had about trekking Salkantay in one place. Please read the following information carefully – it will help you with any questions about our services.
Has another question that we haven’t answered here? Drop us a line, and we will get back to you asap!
Briefing or informative meeting
All information meetings are held in your hotel at 6:00 p.m., one night before the tour begins. If you cannot attend, you must coordinate another time at the Salkantay Trekking offices. These meetings last approximately 30 to 45 minutes and there you will be given a small duffel bag, in which you’ll put all the belongings you intend to bring on the trek that won’t be in your day pack.
Duffel bag or canvas case:
ou’ll receive a canvas case or duffel bag during your briefing. The porters will take them on the way and will deliver them to you when you get to each camp. They measure 66 cm / 2 ft. Long x 36 cm / 1 ft. Wide.
A maximum of 5 kg is allowed for each duffel bag that includes the weight of your sleeping bag, mat, clothes and other personal items.
Payment of Trek Balance (in Cusco)
The trek has to be paid for in full by at least 7.30 pm two days before departure. For example, if your tour departs on a Wednesday, then you must come to our office before 7.30 pm on Monday.
It would be much appreciated if you pay the trek balance in cash US dollars or local currency. You can withdraw some money from several ATMs along Avenida Sol (either in US dollars or local Peruvian Soles). You can pay by credit card or PAYPAL online, but you will have to pay an 8% service charge, charged by VISA and PAYPAL. We do not accept bank checks or payment of the balance by traveler’s checks.
Storing your luggage at our Office.
Of course! During the travel, your main luggage can be stored at our office(you can organize briefing day or by email) or at your hotel, both free of charge.
Any equipment that you are not going to need on the trek can be stored safely in your hotel. Nearly every hotel will provide this service. Don’t leave items of value with your bags, put them in the hotel safe and obtain an itemized receipt (In the unlikely case of theft many insurance companies require that you have a copy of the receipt itemizing all the items). Best put items such as credit cards inside a sealed, signed envelope for extra peace of mind.
Pickups:
Salkantay Trekking can pick you up from your hotel, as long as it’s in the Historic Center of Cusco. The pickup time will be coordinated with your guide in the briefing. The pickup time may vary between 30 and 45 minutes due to traffic. Cusco is a very old city, therefore, it has many narrow cobbled streets. Some hotels and Airbnbs may be located on streets without access to cars or on long, steep slopes, making it difficult to transport luggage. We strongly recommend that you book accommodation with good access.
Group tours:
Group tours are made up of different types of people. Physical conditions and ages can vary. By agreeing to be part of a group tour, you also accept that some people may be faster or slower than you. Therefore, each person can go at their own pace on the route. It may be the case that a group wishes to modify the tour; however, it will be the guide who decides, after consulting with all the participants, if said modifications can be made.
Strikes and demonstrations:
Strikes and demonstrations are usually frequent in Peru and this may interrupt some of our tours. Roads can be blocked and train tracks can be taken over. However, we will try to keep your excursion as planned, even if it means leaving the night before the scheduled date. Under these circumstances, tours may also be cancelled. In case of changes or cancellations, all situations will be coordinated with you by our operations department. Your safety is our highest priority and our decisions will be made to protect it.
Lost objects:
You’re responsible for your objects during the tour. Please pay attention to where you leave your things and remember to take everything once you leave our trucks, tents, or restaurants.
Talk to a Destination Expertito
Your dedicated specialist will take the time to understand your preferences and build them into an itinerary to match, working to your budget. He or she will keep perfecting it until you’re completely happy and ready to book.
The Huchuy Qosqo Route to Machu Picchu 3 days can leave any day of the week, from March through January. We do not run this trek in February because rainy season & maintenance.
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Group Price
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2020 Land Cost
US$450per person
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Pre-payment
US$200(Required)
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Balance
US$250
- This small-group journey is guaranteed to operate with just two guests.
Online Payment Huchuy Qosqo Route to Machu Picchu 3 Days
Private Tour - 2020 Land Cost
Private tours are available and priced by party size.
- 2 Trekkers: US$1300 per person
- 3 Trekkers: US$1050 per person
- 4 Trekkers: US$950 per person
- 5 Trekkers: US$800 per person
- 6 Trekkers: US$650 per person
- 7 Trekkers: US$500 per person
- 8 or more Trekkers: $450 per person
If you would like to customize this itinerary and create a Tailor Made Journey just for you and your companions, click here to inquire, or speak to your travel professional.
Extensions & Offers
There are several extensions you can include to your Salkantay Adventure:
- Rainbow Mountain: $100 $80
- Sacred Valley: $100 $80
- City Tour: $20
Price Guarantee
Once your booking has been confirmed we guarantee the price will not increase, whatever the circumstances. Before booking please ensure you have read our important tour pricing information
